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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Raw, Rau(e, n. Also: rawe, ra(e, raa. [North. and north. midl. ME and e.m.E. rawe (a1225, Cath. Angl.), raw, rau (Cursor M.); midl. and south. row(e (a1300), OE ráw var. of rǽw.]

1. A line of houses; the line, or lines, of houses making up a street; a street so demarcated.Freq., and in earliest use, as the second element of a street name. See Rat(t)o(u)n raw for further examples.(1) c1248 Lennox Mun. II 11.
Mukeraw 13.. Reg. Dunferm. 264.
Bagraw 1364 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 106.
Kirkraw [pr. Kirkvaw] 1375 Blackfriars Perth 35.
Curquhewraw 1405 Reg. Paisley 378.
La Watryraw 1408 Reg. Great S. 390/2.
Northt raw 1417 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. I 44.
In fine vici Castri in opposito de le Schipraw 1423 Haddington Corr. II 229.
The howse … lyand o the south raw 1456 Peebles B. Rec. I 113.
Wil Bully land awest half the Cors and on the North Rau 1468 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 302.
Le Hukstarraw c1475 Wall. vii 558.
Haist thow fast … Behynd thaim cum, & in the Northast raw 1492 Stirling Chart. 51.
Le Bakraw a1568 Pedder C. 69.
That he will … baneis thame the burges raw And to the scho streit ȝe thame ken a1568 Scott ii 178.
Syne pairtit at the Potter raw And sindry gaitis ar gane 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 3.
George Hendersoun duelland in S Ninianis raw 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 106.
Ane ȝaird beȝond the theif raw 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 2a.
For carying vp fra the new raw to the work 6 draucht of timer 1678 Edinb. B. Rec. X 432.
Poterau(b) 1567 Comrie Hist. Sc. Medic. 30.
The Potterraa 1689 Greyfriars Interments 495.
William Nisbet, bak ra(c) 1667 Edinb. Test. LXXIII 136b.
Rae(2) 12.. Reg. Dunferm. 219.
Duas acras circa le Raue de Hertlawflat 1478 Acta Aud. 63/2.
Tua bothis liand in the buth rawis within the burgh of Edinburgh 1539 Soc. Ant. II 394.
That thai do the samyn in quiet back rawis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3027 (Ch.).
Quhilk will … Sard vp the ta raw and doun the vther 1558 Inv. Q. Mary lxxxiv n.
To mak bainfyres … And, throw your rawis, carroul, dance and sing 1564 Edinb. B. Rec. III 185.
The raw and streit callit [blank] a1568 Bann. MS 157b/23.
He is a coward weill kend ammangis the rawis 1586 Prot. Bk. J. Muschet 12b.
That tenement of land … lyand in the middle raw of the said burghe 1587 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 557.
Lie Raw de Byffie 1634 Edinb. Test. LVII 31.
The raw be west the west end thej duall into c1650 Spalding II 417.
He distroyit the haill rawis of Strathbogie 1678 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 155.
The tenement of land or raw of bigging … occupyed be the said William 1679 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 167.
That piece of ground above the gate … with the … three little houses in the raw

2. (All) on (upon) raw.

a. One behind another, in file; in succession; in order; one after another. 1375 Barb. viii 450.
Quhen thai … saw So feill ladis gang on raw ?1438 Alex. ii 8152.
He saw The knichtis stert vp all on raw a1500 Henr. Fab. 555.
Quhen he saw the raches cum on raw [etc.] Id. Robene & M. 12.
[I] keipis my scheip vndir ȝone wid, Lo quhair thay raik on raw [: knaw] c1500 Fyve Bestes 170.
Quhill he clapit durst thair no cok craw, Quhen he had clapit than crav thai all on raw c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 180.
Thy rigbane rattillis, and thy ribbis on raw 1513 Doug. i viii 44.
From thar schippis per ordour thai com on raw Ib. vi iii 3.
In his breste gan rollyng all on raw Thir onkouth chancis Ib. x vi 6.
Than in the schaldis dyd thai leip on raw Ib. xiii i 8.
The Latyn pepill haill on raw A fellon murnyng maid 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 643.
Rawe 1535 Stewart 7150.
Trumpet and talburne tunit vpone raw Ib. 12092. 15.. Clar. iv 1769.
Furth gois the dogis throw the ryse on raw [: schaw] a1570-86 Maitl. F. 171/82.
And fra thyn furth that thai thé knaw Fra everie court be put on raw 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. fol. 4b.
Quha writ thir wers gif ȝe wald knaw First ȝe man sers … Than rychtlie pers thame all on raw

b. In line, or lines, abreast; in ranks; spaced out over a front. 1375 Barb. v 590.
He saw thai thre cum all on raw Aganis him Ib. xvii 348.
Quhen that thai saw [That] menȝe raynge thame swa on raw, Till thar wardis thai went in hy Ib. xii 36. c1409-1436 Kingis Q. 90.
And seis thou now ȝone multitude, on rawe Standing, behynd ȝone trauerse of delyte? a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 246.
On that river he saw Cumly towris … The roy rekinnit on raw Thretty and thre Ib. 1277.
The riale renkis richest on raw c1475 Wall. ii 302.
It has bene seildyn seyn Quhar Scottis and Inglis semblit bene on raw [etc.] Ib. iv 614.
Quhar feill Sothron war semblit vpon raw 1513 Doug. vii iii 62.
Within the cheif deambulatour on raw … gret ymagis dyd stand Ib. viii iii 5.
On far the cite wallis se thai, With towris, and the hows hedis on raw 1535 Stewart 3916.
Tha ran togidder on raw 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8126.
That all the ladeis … Suld stand on raw … That the pepill micht all thame planelie se

c. In weakened sense, not clearly definable as either a or b above, and in some instances appar. a meaningless tag. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 227.
Apon his fyngeris with riche ryngis on raw 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1261. Id. Æn. iv ii 20.
Othir quhilis wald scho raik on raw Or pays tofor the altaris, wyth fat offerandis Ib. ix x 88.
With goldin schakaris hys forhed arrait on raw Ib. xi xiii 63.
Ane Ornytus … far on raw [L. procul] … Raid on a curser … throu the feild Ib. xiii ii 133.
Hyr byrdis syne, clokkand, scho sekis on raw Ib. vii iii 55, etc.

d. To set on raw, ? to set in motion, to start (proceedings). c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 925.
Sa the assise beliue was set on raw

e. On, or apon, ane raw (or rawis), in lines; in line of battle; in order. ?1438 Alex. ii 1411.
The battellis come than on ane raw c1450-2 Howlat 244 (A).
The pape … blissit thaim all Quhen thai war rangit on rawis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 35.
Ane cumlie tabil coverit wes … With ryalle cowpis apon rawis 1689 Fugitive Poetry I xxvii 1/1.
Claverse and his Highland men, Came down upon a raw

3. In (intill) (a) raw, = 2 a-c above. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4221 (Bann.).
With wantone scrybis and clarkis all in [Ch. intill] ane raw That to the peur makis mony pertiall trane 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 170.
Stratherne, … Plenisit with plesand policie preclair Of touris and townis standand fair in raw 1626 Garden Worthies 173.
Thy gloring and thy greef for both in raw, Charactred in thy countenance wee saw 1677 Rec. Old Aberd. I 129.
That the stands upon the midstreit be set onlie single at others ends in a raw

4. An array or set of persons or things of a particular kind.

a. Only in Doug.: A bank (of oarsmen). — 1513 Doug. v iii 34.
The arys rays thre rawis on athir syde Ib. v 54.
Hys schyp … Of brokyn arys febilly with a raw, Mokkyt and schent, scho cummys hame ful slaw Ib. viii ii 30.
Twa galeis … With dowbill raw of ayris on athir syde

b. A class or category of people. — 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xl 213.
How upricht men ar murtherit … And now … James, our gude regent, rakkin in that raw [: schaw]

c. A row (of teeth). — 1701 Brand Orkney & Shetl. 123.
[She] had brought forth a monster … it had two raws of teeth

5. A ray or beam.Also in this sense in ME (a1225) and late ME (Lydgate). a1550 Tayis Bank 26.
The reid sone rais with rawis [: lawis]